A Break Down of the LGBT Anti-Discrimination Bill

If you haven’t heard, yesterday Democrats introduced an anti-discrimination bill that “would create federal standards to protect LGBT people from discrimination in housing, workplaces, schools, public accommodations, and financial transactions.” With the recent legalization of same-sex marriage, it appears that the LGBT rights movement is on a wave of momentum that may end in equal protections for the LGBT community by federal law. To better understand the huge implications of such a bill, we thought we’d break it down for you.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people against discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. The Equality Act would include sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act.

As for the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Equality Act would make it so that RFRA could not be used to allow businesses to discriminate against LGBT customers.

Transgender Restroom Policy (trans persons and youth could use the restroom of the gender that they identify with)

Service (businesses couldn’t deny someone service based on sexual orientation or gender identity)

Why do we need this bill to pass?

Only 22 states plus the District of Columbia have laws that protect LGBT persons from discrimination, however, most of these laws do not encompass all of the protections or rights to equality that LGBT persons deserve or need. A nationwide bill such as this would provide equality and equal treatment in all areas of social life for LGBT persons in the U.S.

Did we mention that the Equality Act would protect women and persons of color?

The Equality Act will also include “sex” for federal protection in addition to “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in terms of public accommodation. This means that women would no longer be charged more for a service or purchase because of their gender.

As Amanda Terkel explains at the Huffington Post, “This change would mean that a car dealership couldn’t charge a woman more than a man, simply because she’s a woman. Or a salon couldn’t charge men and women different prices for the exact same haircut.”

Similarly, the definition of “public accommodation” would be updated. At the moment, only some businesses are considered “public accommodations” like hotels and inns, restaurants, theatres, and other entertainment venues. The Equality Act would also make retail stores, banks, transportation services, and health care services “public accommodations.” As Thinkprogress stated: “people of color would be protected from discrimination in stores, salons, or when hailing a cab.”

Though the public seems to be in favor of this law, Congress has a Republican majority which may prove an obstacle in getting the Equality Act passed. Though this does not mean that we should give up hope. We must push this Equality Act toward fruition for the LGBT community, women, persons of color—ALL Americans.

And we are glad to see that many senators are fighting hard for this act of justice. New York Senator Chuck Schumer said it best, about why we have to get this Equality Act passed:

After years under a legal cloud, #marriageequality is now the law of the land, but #LGBT discrimination is allowed to flourish.